Stir-Fried Pork and Leeks

Last night was a blast at The Portland Kitchen's graduation dinner, I was so inspired and impressed by this cohort.  It was full of speeches, award giving, and tons of amazing food that the students cooked for us all.  They made a white bean & radish salad, a fresh herb potato salad, a roasted spring vegetable salad, and a whole roasted pig with a cherry chipotle bbq sauce and a Carolina mustard sauce (pictured below).  And let's not forget about dessert, we had strawberry shortcake with Hood River strawberries.  The food was phenomenal and I was so stuffed by the end.  As it is hard to watch all the students move on it is still exciting to know that they are applying their skills in life and have a new found love for healthy food.  Now we are welcoming in two summer cohorts and it sure will be a busy summer!  I adapted this dish several weeks back and while it doesn't look like anything special it is easy and delicious!  And in another attempt to cooking seasonally leeks are still in season but not for long!

Serves 4

The Ingredients
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons Chinese chile-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pound pork chop, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
Steamed white rice, for serving


The Process
1.  In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth with the tamari, chile-garlic sauce and cornstarch. In another bowl, toss the pork with the sesame oil.

2.  In a large skillet, heat the canola oil until nearly smoking. Add the pork and stir-fry over high heat until lightly charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the leeks and stir-fry until tender and lightly browned in spots, 5 to 6 minutes.

3.  Stir the sauce, add it to the pan and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom, until thickened, about 1 minute longer. Serve right away with rice.